For the second year running, the former United States National Snooker Champion and top professional pool star, Corey Deuel, will attempt to earn a professional World Snooker Tour card as he will compete in the 2015 World Snooker Q-School, which runs from May 14-25 at the Meadowside Leisure Centre in Burton-upon-Trent, England.

Deuel won his United States National Snooker Championship title back in 2013 and represented his nation in that year's International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championships in Latvia, and although he is more highly regarded around the world as a professional pool player, his interest in snooker has grown over the past few years and has commented that he considers snooker to be the best of all the billiard sports.

There are several ways a player from around the world can earn a place on the professional World Snooker Tour through various national and international amateur tournaments, but the Q-School is World Snooker's system for qualifying which was first introduced back in 2011.

A view of the World Snooker Q School set-up inside the Meadowside Centre

In a repeat of last year's format, the 2015 World Snooker Q-School will consist of two events with all matches played over the best-of-seven frames and will be refereed under professional conditions. The semifinalists from both of the events will be awarded one of the eight 2-year tour cards on offer, guaranteeing their participation on the 2015-16 and 2016-17 World Snooker Tour seasons.

As a professional on the World Snooker Tour, this offers the fantastic opportunity to enter all World Snooker Tour ranking events including the prestigious World Championship, and to compete in all European and Asian Tour events for a share of next season's prize money on offer of in excess of $13million.

There are a total of 166 players competing from around the world in this year's World Snooker Q School, though Deuel is at an obvious disadvantage from many as he does not have the opportunity to practice all year round on the professional match tables that he will encounter, and this was in evidence during last year in which he lost both of his opening matches. However, after losing 4-0 to Welshman Daniel Wells in Event 1, his performance dramatically improved in Event 2 as he lost 4-2 to Englishman Martin Ball, hitting a break of 72 during the match.

The draws for both of the events have been made and Deuel's first match in Event 1 will commence on May 15 at 7pm local UK time (11am PT in the United States) and is against England's Jamie Barrett.

In Event 2, Deuel will play England's Jason Weston, with the match commencing on May 20 at 10am local UK time (2am PT in the United States).

SnookerUSA.com will follow Deuel's progress closely and report on his results.